Insect or Animal Bites, Scratches or Stings

About the Symptom

It refers to any bites or stings by insects and bites or scratches by animals, which can cause itchy or painful red, swollen lumps or wounds to develop on the skin.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Swelling of the affected area
• Dysphagia
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing / breathlessness
• Fainting with loss of consciousness
• Disorder of consciousness
• Muscle weakness in the limbs
• Seizure attack

Possible Causes

Generally, Insect or animal bites, scratches or stings can be related to:

• Rabies

  Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can spread to people and animals through bites or scratches from infected animals. It is commonly found in wild animals like stray dogs, bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. The rabies virus travels through nerve cells to the brain, where it multiplies quickly, causing severe inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, often leading to death.

• Insect Bite

  Irritation and inflammation of the skin caused by mosquito bites, bee stings, and other insects.

• Eosinophilic Cellulitis

  Eosinophilic cellulitis is an inflammatory skin condition with an unknown cause. In this disease, itchy, burning, red, and inflamed areas can form anywhere on the skin. The inflamed areas can look like a skin infection called cellulitis, but there is no true infection present. It may be due to an immune system disorder and could be triggered by insect or tick bites, medications, or surgery.

• Prurigo Nodularis
• Id reaction
• Prurigo (Chronic and Acute Prurigo, Prurigo Gestationis, Prurigo Pigmentosa, Polymorphic Pregnancy Rash, etc.)

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Insect or animal bites, scratches or stings may be related to these serious diseases:

• Scrub Typhus

  This illness is caused by a bacterial infection from the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi and is spread by mite bites. People living or traveling in certain rural areas of Asia and Australia are more likely to contract scrub typhus. Severe forms can be dangerous if left untreated.

• Cellulitis / Erysipelas
• Tetanus
• Anaphylaxis

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Have you been bitten or stung by bugs or animals?
• Did you get bitten or stung by an insect?
• Were you bitten or scratched by an animal?
• How long have you had bug or animal bites or stings?

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Powers J, McDowell RH. Insect Bites. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537235/